Heuchera plant named ‘Sparkling Burgundy’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct hybrid of  Heuchera  plant characterized by to burgundy colored foliage, white flowers on short, burgundy flowering stems, mounding habit, and excellent vigor.

Botanical denomination: Heuchera hybrid.

Variety designation: ‘Sparkling Burgundy’.

Cross Reference to sibling: Heuchera ‘Peach Flambé’ (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 11/154,434).

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Heuchera and given the cultivar name of ‘Sparkling Burgundy’. Heuchera is in the family Saxifragaceae. Heuchera ‘Sparkling Burgundy’ originated from a cross between Heuchera H-01-dklf-6 (an unpatented, proprietary plant) as the seed parent, and Heuchera ‘Amber Waves’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,348) as the pollen parent. Given its ornamental foliage and flower form, it is probable that Heuchera micrantha, H. americana, and H. brizoides are in its parentage.

This new Heuchera is distinguished by:

-   -   1. Unique burgundy colored foliage.     -   2. White flowers on dark peduncles.     -   3. Mounding habit.     -   4. Excellent vigor.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (division and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by division and tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques with terminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 shows a two year old plant of Heuchera ‘Sparkling Burgundy’ in flower in May growing in the ground in the shade garden in Canby, Oreg.

FIG. 2 shows a three-year-old plant growing in a five gallon container in the shade house in April.

FIG. 3 shows a two year old plant growing in the ground in the garden in October.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Heuchera cultivar based on observations taken in May of a three-year-old specimen grown a five gallon container in an open air shade house with 50% shade cover and added irrigation in the summer months in Canby, Oreg. Canby is Zone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95 degrees F. in August to an average of 32 degrees F. in January. Normal rainfall in Canby is 42.8 inches per year. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart.

-   Botanical denomination: Heuchera hybrid. -   Variety designation: ‘Sparkling Burgundy’. -   Parentage: Heuchera H-01-dklf-6 (seed parent, proprietary,     unreleased plant)×Heuchera ‘Amber Waves’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,348     (pollen parent). -   Plant:     -   -   Form.—Basal rosette, herbaceous perennial.         -   Hardiness.—USDA Zone 4 to 9.         -   Size.—30 cm tall from the soil to the top of the foliage and             55 cm wide.         -   Habit.—Mounding.         -   Vigor.—Excellent.         -   Roots.—Fibrous, freely branching, fine, and white in color.             Roots develop easily from cuttings. -   Leaf:     -   -   Type.—Simple.         -   Arrangement.—Rosette.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Lobing/division.—5 main lobes, with 1 to 2 shallow secondary             lobes.         -   Venation.—Palmate.         -   Margins.—Crenate.         -   Apex.—Mucronulate.         -   Base.—Cordate, lobes slightly overlapping at the base.         -   Blade size.—8 to 12 cm long and 8 to 12.5 cm wide.         -   Surface texture.—Glandular on both sides.         -   Petiole description.—15 to 19 cm long and 2 mm wide,             glandular, Red Purple 59A.         -   Leaf color.—Spring and summer topside — Burgundy with a             silver pink veil, Greyed Purple 187A with Red Purple 69A.             Bottom side all seasons — Grayed Purple 187C and D. Winter             topside — Between Greyed Purple 183A and Brown 200C with a             veil of Red Purple 69A. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Type.—Thyrse.         -   Number of flowers.—90 per thyrse.         -   Number of thyrse.—17 in spring.         -   Peduncle.—With 0 to 2 petiolate cauline leaves (ovate,             blades grow to 7 cm long and 5.5 cm wide and are incised at             base and crenate), 48 cm tall and 4 mm wide near the base,             with glandular hairs, Greyed Purple 187A to 187B.         -   Pedicel.—Variable in size, with glandular hairs, Grayed             Purple 187A.         -   Bloom period.—May in Canby, Oreg. -   Flower bud:     -   -   Size.—2.5 mm wide and 4 mm long.         -   Description.—Glandular, ovoid.         -   Color.—Dull white, Yellow White 158A. -   Flower:     -   -   Type.—Perfect, zygomorphic.         -   Shape.—Campanulate.         -   Size.—6 mm long and 3.5 mm wide.         -   Petal description.—5 in number, inconspicuous, 2 mm long,             spatulate with a clawed base, margin entire, apex acute,             White 155D on both sides, backs glandular.         -   Calyx description.—5 mm long and 3.5 mm wide, with 5 lobes,             divided ¼ way to the base, glandular on backs only, margins             entire, lobe apices acute, Yellow White 158B to White 155A             on both sides.         -   Stamen description.—5, sterile, no pollen produced, Yellow             White 158A overall, filaments 1.5 mm long, anthers 0.4 mm             long.         -   Pistil description.—Yellow White 158A overall, 3.5 mm long,             style 1.5 mm long.         -   Fragrance.—None.         -   Lastingness.—Each thyrse blooms for about 2 weeks on the             plant. -   Fruit:     -   -   Type.—Two-beaked ovoid capsule.         -   Color.—Brown 200D. -   Seed:     -   -   Shape.—Linear.         -   Size.—2 mm long.         -   Color.—Black, RHS 202A. -   Pest and disease tolerance: Excellent disease resistance to powdery     mildew, the common problem of Heuchera. Susceptible to Heuchera rust     and root weevils.

COMPARISON TO SIMILAR HEUCHERAS

Compared to purple leaf Heuchera on the market this new variety has pinker leaves and larger flowers on shorter burgundy stalks.

Compared to Heuchera ‘Amber Waves’, the pollen parent, the new variety is larger and more vigorous, with larger, unruffled leaves, and burgundy rather than amber foliage color.

Compared to Heuchera H-01-dklf-6, the seed parent, the new variety has burgundy rather than brown leaves and white rather than warm pink flowers. 

1. A new and distinct hybrid of Heuchera plant as herein illustrated and described. 